


New Start

by MandolinDoodler



Category: Arthur Christmas (2011)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Arthur runs away, Arthur traves the world, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-20 16:59:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13151010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MandolinDoodler/pseuds/MandolinDoodler
Summary: Never once in his life had he planned on leaving the North Pole, his family, and his entire life behind yet here he was watching them get smaller and smaller on the horizon in a truck taking him to who-knows-where. [An 'Arthur leaves' AU]*cross posted on fanfiction.net*will now include the main three parts to this AU as well as any other ideas I come up with for this lovely fandom





	1. Chapter 1

Arthur watched as his slipper was swallowed by the ocean waves. It was supposed to be simple: take the sleigh and deliver the present so Gwen could have a perfect Christmas and the Claus's could sleep easy, again. Now him, Grand-santa, and Bryony were stuck in the desert no doubt waiting for Steve to track them down and reprimand them all the way back to the North Pole. The youngest Claus could only hope his brother would at least deliver the present before searching for them.

"Can I burn this?"

Arthur glanced over to Bryony holding Gwen's letter. For a moment he almost gave her permission to rid them of the parchment that started their problems in the first place, but there was a part deep in his heart that refused to so blatantly admit defeat. Just because the Santas of the family had stopped caring about children didn't mean Arthur had to as well. The young man trudged over to the wrapping elf and gently removed the letter from her small hand, staring at the sloppy writing and misspelled words. After a few moments, he looked down at Bryony with sorrowful eyes.

Elves were known for their devotion to Christmas, more so than the Claus family sometimes. To see an elf, especially one as passionate as Bryony, look as hopeless as Arthur felt nearly broke the young man. He clenched the purple letter tighter in his hand, making up his mind. Maybe he couldn't deliver Gwen's present, but it was Christmas and, though his grandfather had let him down, he at least deserved a better place to rest and wait for Steve -they all did.

With a determined gaze, Arthur scanned the horizon praying for any sort of sign of life. Luckily, not far from where they were camped out lay a cluster of lights, possibly a seaside town.

"Come on, there's a town down that way," he said, pointing towards the light, "we can get some food and maybe some rest while we wait for Steve." Without waiting for a reply, Arthur began the trek along the shore, glancing back only to make sure Grand-santa and Bryony were keeping up with him. Though they stumbled along the way, the elder Claus and elf didn't dare complain; Arthur was breaking as it was and neither wanted to get on the young man's bad side.

Ten minutes later, the trio finally entered the small city. Even with the morning sun barely touching the sandy streets and Christmas day blooming in every home, the people were buzzing outside, filling the town square with life. A group of women rushed by with baskets of clothes, vendors set up their stands to get some sales in for the morning, children dashed through the crowds enjoying their new trinkets.

Arthur stared wide eyed at the busyness of the streets. He'd spent the last twenty years in the North Pole and seen the hectic world of elves during the cram session right before Christmas eve. Never before had he dared to venture into the middle of them when their minds were so focused and the halls so crowded, but being in the middle of that small city, the young Claus felt he knew what it would be like.

And even though he felt unusually small despite being taller than many of the citizens, and he had to dodge a running child or hurried townsman every two seconds (and even though his evening/morning had been beyond crappy), a smile still managed to creep its way onto Arthur's face. It was just so exciting when he didn't have to worry about being spotted by the authorities or shot at for stealing a sign. If it weren't for his responsibilities at the Pole, he'd let himself get swept away by the crowd.

But, wait, Arthur thought as the smile slipped from his face, it isn't as if he was  _needed_  at the North Pole. Yes, children all deserved to have their letters answered, but -at the risk of sounding like Grand-santa- that's elf work. Maybe it would be a big deal if he was Santa, but Arthur was the equivalent of an elf; it would be nothing to replace him if he just disappeared.

A tug on his jacket brought the youngest Claus out of his thoughts. "C'mon, lad, let's get out of this crowd. Me hips can't take this much longer." Grand-Santa looked up at his grandson and, when he received a small nod, turned towards a nearby building with some crates stacked against it. Right behind him Bryony followed closely, cautious of getting trampled with her small size and constantly glancing around to make sure there were no suspicions of the group's mythical background.

Arthur followed at their slow pace, his mind bouncing back to his earlier thoughts. It's wasn't like he could simply jump on a plane and be off. He didn't have money in general, let alone the right currency for where ever he was. And simply walking off wasn't an option either; he wouldn't get far enough away to escape Steve's radar or even Bryony's running distance.

But what was he doing even considering all of these options? It's not like he would actually do it. The young Claus had a life in the North Pole, a simple life and one where he wasn't very appreciated, but a life all the same. Yeah, thoughts like that weren't helping him at all…

Right then, a man carrying a crate bumped into Arthur, making the young man nearly lose sight of his grandfather and elf. The man with the crate mumbled an apology before setting his load onto the back of a truck.

"That's the last one," he called to the driver. Wiping his hands onto his pants, the man got into the passenger side of the vehicle. Arthur watched as the truck growled to life, tempting him with the idea of driving all day to some unknown town or city up the coast. It would be too easy to jump into the back of the truck and crawl between some of the loosely packed crates. No one would even know he was there and he could get out at the next town without a trace.

Arthur stood in the middle of the street now staring at his grandfather and elf as they took a seat on the crates by the nearby building. Grand-santa shifted, trying to get comfortable on the hard surface, and Bryony kept her suspicious gaze on the crowd while she swiftly hoisted herself next to Grand-santa. They hadn't even noticed Arthur was gone, yet.

So Arthur watched them some more. He watched as they sat there a few moments, Grand-santa grumbling to himself and Bryony easily tuning him out. He watched as Bryony looked past the old Santa to see an empty spot, her eyes widening in near terror. He watched as the two grew frantic when they couldn't find him in the crowd, Grand-santa going from irritated to ready for a heart attack.

And he watched as their faces became smaller, getting lost as more and more people were put between him and his family. The youngest Claus hadn't even realized he'd boarded the truck currently hauling him to some unknown town miles away until he lost sight of his partners.

For a split second, Arthur panicked because he'd just left his century-old grandfather and spiritless elf in the middle of some strange city with no way to contact Steve or pay for anything like food or sleeping quarters. The shock almost had him scrambling out of the bed of the vehicle and bolting to his family's side, spilling apologies for disappearing. Almost. His feet refused to budge until the initial panic settled.

When the tension in his body finally released, Arthur slowly readjusted himself in the pile of crates to get comfortable. He couldn't see Grand-santa and Bryony anymore, their faces and voices having long disappeared in the city bustle. The young man knew he should be worrying as he always did, but that little part of him that constricted his lungs and put his mind on a single track was strangely calm. Some part of him very, very deep down honestly wanted to leave, to have a chance at a life where he was wanted and see the places he'd only seen stamps of.

At terms with that idea, Arthur solemnly turned to watch the passing buildings become blurs until they melted into sandy scenery. No matter how hard he tried to focus on the desert, though, he couldn't ignore the clenching in his heart reminding him that he might never see his family again


	2. Arthur's Travels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick preview of what Arthur's life is like after his decision to leave.

Arthur distractedly wrung the strap of his hefty backpack looking through the plane destinations glowing on the massive wall before him. He needed to decide where to go next.

After spending a week dodging the HOHO 3000 radar in what he discovered to be Cuba, the young Claus decided it was time he get off of the island country. His escape was similar to before, stowing away on a boat and finding out later where he would end up. A few days later the man was in Brazil marveling at the tropical setting that was so unlike the North Pole.

In the washroom of the ship, Arthur found himself a more inconspicuous shirt, socks, and shoes to wear (he left an IOU just in case someone came looking for them). His holiday sweater he kept close to him as he left the ship, not ready to let the precious garment go after all he'd been through with it.

It took a while, but he Claus soon found a place he could make some money without anyone digging into his story. He was able to negotiate a job and temporary living arrangement with the shop owner so he could settle down until he figured out what to do next. Not for the first time Arthur found himself thankful he was put to work in Letters at the Pole – he got letters from all over the world and needed to know multiple languages to read them all. No matter where he went, the young Claus would at least be able to communicate with people.

He spent a month and half working at that shop until he was nearly caught by an elf searching the store late one night. That's when he decided his only hope of escaping the radar for good was if he kept moving, so he bought himself some supplies and set off to explore South America. If Arthur wasn't sleeping to adjust to the different time zones he was talking to the natives to learn as much as possible (he didn't want to get dragged back to the North Pole without at least enjoying his time away from the frozen tundra) or he was picking up the odd job to keep his funds up so he could travel more.

Already it had been seven and a half long but exciting months since the young Claus walked away from his life as a surrogate elf. Now the seasons were changing and Arthur was ready to change with them, find somewhere new to spend the fall (or in some cases spring).

Focusing back on the wall of destinations, Arthur debated between Africa and Europe. On the one hand, if he went to Africa he wouldn't have to make as many changes to his supplies and wardrobe to deal with the warm climate since he would be coming from a warm continent anyways. On the other hand, Europe would offer a much more compact culture that would keep the Claus happily occupied every minute of his visit.

"Do I wanna head straight up there or take the scenic route?"

The question came as a murmur from a woman on Arthur's right. She looked to be around his age with honey locks tied in a hasty bun, staring up at the same wall as him. When she noticed Arthur glancing over at her she started and gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, don't mind me!" Her hands went to one of the straps on her backpack to fidget with the wearing seams. The action brought the young Claus' attention to the many patches sewn into the bag, all sporting names of various countries and landmarks.

"Woah," Arthur said in wonder, moving a bit closer to inspect some of the patches, "you sure have travelled a lot." He'd seen many of the images on postage stamps and some pictures that would come attached to letters to Santa.

"Hm?" The young woman's gaze followed his and realization dawned on her face. "Oh, the patches! Well, I wish I could say I've been to all these places, but I've barely made a dent in all of these. This bag used to belong to my brother – he used to go all over the world and would grab one of these to mark where he'd been." She hesitated then continued, encouraged by the sincere interest Arthur exhibited, "it wasn't until a couple months ago that I finally gathered the courage to leave and see all the places he saw."

Arthur smiled and nodded in understanding. "I know what you mean; I grew up in a, uh, pretty isolated place and the only time I got to see anything from outside my home was in letters. We'd get them from all over the world," he couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice here, "photos and stamps of so many places and letters written in so many languages! Ever since I was a boy I wondered what the world must be like." His eyes softened when he added, "sometimes I wonder why I didn't leave earlier."

They grew silent as they momentarily got lost in their own thoughts. An announcement overhead startled them into the present and they shared an awkward laugh. "You don't have a plane to catch anytime soon do you?"

Arthur spared a glance to the lit up destinations he'd been contemplating moments ago and made a quick decision. "Not really, why?"

"Have you been to Ellie's Café?"

"I've heard of it, but every time I looked for it I couldn't ever find it. I spent an entire afternoon trying to find it just to end up on the other side of town!" He snorted and his wheezing laugh filled the space between them. Relief filled him when she laughed along with him, unfazed by his unusual laugh unlike most people he'd come across.

When they settled down she said, "then why don't you and I go on a little adventure before we leave this place? I'll lead the way." She grinned at him and something fluttered in his chest. He grinned back and gave his answer in the form of an enthusiastic nod.

They found the café in less than an hour and spent the rest of the morning there drinking coffee and tea, and swapping stories.

Her name was Jane and she grew up in a plain suburban town where the only excitement came from the souvenirs a brother many years her senior would send from his travels. The only other time in the year she remembered being so happy was during the holidays when the entire town would be decorated top to bottom with Christmas lights and the neighborhood would come together to ensure everybody could have a magical holiday.

Her enthusiasm was contagious and Arthur found himself sharing just as much as her. He talked about his small family, his clumsiness that was amplified in a "town" covered in ice, his love of all things Christmas (which he was happy to note was still there despite his fallout with his family the previous Christmas), all the letters he got to read, and all the places he'd been and was hoping to go.

It was early afternoon that they realized they'd been sitting at the café for several hours and both needed to catch a plane out of town. And while neither wanted to leave the other just yet, they weren't quite ready to change all their plans for the sake of a stranger they'd happened to come across in an airport. Rather, they came up with a new plan to meet later.

"Have you ever seen New York City during the holidays?" Jane asked. Arthur shook his head and Jane's smile lit up. "Okay, then we'll meet there! I'll be working my way up there from Mexico and plan on getting there the week of Christmas. On that Monday, we'll meet in Rockefeller Plaza, okay?"

He agreed full heartedly, his brain already working on how he was going to get there. Europe and Africa would take a back seat for a while – he had all the time in the world to explore those continents. Instead, he would take a plane to California and travel across the United States, doing whatever it took to ensure he made it to New York in time to meet Jane.

Their departure at the airport was harder than either of the young adults thought it would be. Every time they thought they were ready to go one would suddenly remember something they wanted to tell the other and another ten minutes would pass by in a blink. It was when the last call for Jane's flight interrupted their conversation that they realized they actually had to say goodbye. The young woman fell into a frenzy, doing a quick pat down of her pockets and bag to ensure she had everything, then startled her companion with a tight hug that lasted long enough for Arthur to gather his bearings and hug her back just as tight.

He watched her go until he couldn't see her any longer.

With a great sigh, the young Claus turned to catch his own plane. The next few months passed in a blur that was only broken up by thoughts of a certain honey haired, hazel eyed woman and as December grew nearer, Arthur grew more and more restless wherever he was staying; he had to fight the urge several times to not take a plane straight to New York. He didn't want to get there too early and he wanted to save as much money as possible for when he was actually there.

But finally – _finally!_ – the day arrived and he found himself in a cheap motel checking himself in the mirror every chance he got, wondering if maybe he should have gotten a haircut or if his sweater exuded enough Christmas spirit for the occasion (or maybe it was too exciting), and a slew of other worries that would have Grandsanta rolling his eyes and grumbling about "back in his day." With one last once over, Arthur headed out.

As he made his way through the city, he suddenly understood why Jane would want to meet in New York; there were Christmas lights and decorations covering every inch of every building, Santas at every corner, holiday music coming from every store. And when he saw the gargantuan Christmas tree lighting up Rockefeller Plaza, framed by flurries of snow and ice skaters, he couldn't help but wish once again that he'd left the North Pole sooner.

As Arthur marvelled the sight, an arm looped through his, startling him out of his daze. He looked over to see two familiar hazel eyes peering back at him and a smile stretched across his face when him and the woman shared a hug.

"Jane! It's so good to see you."

"You too, Arthur! And your sweater, it's incredible!" The knot that had formed in the pit of Arthur's stomach loosened with each word Jane said. He almost couldn't believe he'd gotten so worked up over seeing her again. "C'mon, we have a lot of catching up to do."

They picked up some hot chocolate from a nearby kiosk and found a place to settle down near the rink to talk about all of the places they'd been in the last few months. And with every exciting story they shared, there was an accompanying, "you would have loved it" or "I wish you could have been there." By the time their stories reached the present, the sky had darkened and they reluctantly departed, but not without a promise to meet up the next day.

They spent the rest of the week like that; meeting up and exploring the city, talking about where they each plan on going next, and -without realizing it- making plans together. They slowly went from ' _I'm_ going there' to _'we_ should go there' and they didn't notice it until the New Year's buzz had died down and they were back in the airport looking at destinations, going through the pros and cons of each place, then buying tickets and loading onto the plane, side by side.

And for the first time in a year, Arthur felt at peace with his decision to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have lots of ideas for shorts of his travels and him dodging the North Pole Radar as well as ideas for an alternative version where they manage to track him down and Arthur continually escapes. If I get around to writing these ideas, I'll post them in this work


	3. Waker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This Christmas Steve recieves an unexpected gift in the middle of his mission

Steve had noticed something.

Mrs. Claus had a twinkle in her eye. It shouldn't be unusual considering her position as  _the_  Mrs. Claus and the fact that it was Christmas and who wouldn't be a little cheerier on such a holiday when in the North Pole? But that twinkle had been gone for several years now, the light diminishing when they'd lost Arthur in Cuba and fading each time a Christmas passed without the youngest Claus.

And yet, as she handed him his coat and her usual round of last minute instructions, Steve couldn't help but notice how her smile reached her eyes and how she seemed to choose her words very carefully ('remember that the elves are highly capable of dealing with any situation that comes up so don't forget to relax and enjoy the trip' 'There will be plenty of food when you get back, so don't you worry about that either'). Given the time, the Claus would have questioned her but it was coming down to the final minutes before launch and he had far too much to think about to worry about his mother's strange behavior.

For the most part the night had gone smoothly. Since Steve's inauguration as Santa Claus, they'd made sure to be extra meticulous about the presents to ensure every child got their present before the S1 and its crew was settled back in the North Pole. The only difference Steve could note was Bryony having joined his personal team, escorting him to whatever houses he needed to deliver to. The wrapping elf had taken a break after Arthur's disappearance and refused to do any field work when the opportunity came up.

Hence, his surprise when she approached him instead and requested a spot on his team. Glad to see the elf acting more normal, Steve approved her request without much thought. In hindsight he should have been a bit more suspicious at her sudden change of heart, especially considering the lengths she'd gone previous years to  _not_  be involved with Operation: Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

And now, hunched behind a couch in a house just outside New York City to hide from the little boy they hadn't seen sleeping on said couch, Steve wished he had taken the time to wonder why his mother had been so happy all week and why Bryony was so eager to join the mission, for the elf was hidden with him completely unconcerned about the situation. If anything, she appeared to be hiding excitement as if she was happy they were about to be discovered and have all their secrets exposed.

Peeking his head from around the loveseat adjacent to them, another elf looked to Steve for instructions. Solutions ran through the Claus' head at a rapid rate, trying to find the best way to get everyone out safely while not waking the whole household or jeopardizing their mission. He pulled out his HOHO to relay his plan to the team when footsteps approached from the kitchen. Everyone's heads whipped in that direction, dread settling in the pits of their stomachs and bodies tensing in anticipation as a silhouette came closer and closer, the light of the Christmas tree slowly illuminating the form to reveal a man in a bright red knit sweater with holiday patterns on it.

"Dad?" the little boy gasped in excitement.

"Steve?" the man echoed the boy but in a much more confused tone, his wide eyes glued to the white haired man hiding behind his couch rather than his son.

"Dad! I think I heard Santa," the boy continued. He didn't seem to notice his father's eyes weren't on him, his 6 year old mind hyped up on the possibility of Santa being in his home. Meanwhile Steve couldn't break his astonished stare from the boy's father. There was no mistaking the long face, the dark brown hair, or the lanky figure that was exaggerated under a baggy Christmas sweater.

The boy jumping to stand on the couch snapped the group into action. With a meaningful look and a few wild arm gestures shared between the men while the boy was distracted, Steve lead his team of elves into the kitchen and an office room next to it. From the living room they could hear the boy being coaxed back to the couch and to a calmer state so he'd sleep for a couple more hours.

Back in the office, Steve typed frantically on his HOHO while half his team chattered in excited whispers and awaited his instructions, all of them silently hoping they'd get to stay and capture another glimpse of the youngest Claus. Disappointment filled them when their leader reluctantly gave Bryony permission to stay (a part of him wanted to be selfish and not share his brother, but he also just  _knew_  she had something to do with finding the younger man) and sent the rest of them back to the S1 with instructions to continue the mission, adjusting time to account for the precious minutes they'd lost. Just as their feet disappeared out the window another presence entered the room, the door closing quietly behind it.

Arthur hesitated before turning slowly to face his brother and the elf he'd abandoned in a desert town years ago. They stared at each other for a moment before the younger Claus burst into apologies.

"I-I know it was wrong a-and I'm sorry everything got so crazy and out of hand; I really made a mess out of everything that night and I shouldn't have left Grand-Santa and-" he kept rambling but Steve hardly registered a word. It had been nine years -to the date- since he'd seen his younger brother and the grief of that was finally hitting him. Along with everyone else in the Pole, he'd been able to drown out his emotions by working nearly nonstop so there was hardly any time to remember that Arthur wasn't just sitting in his little office in Letters, writing to the children of the world for the sake of keeping their belief alive. But now it was more real than ever that the youngest Claus had been away and started his own life.

Steve felt a pang in his heart remembering all the times teams of elves had come back from search parties empty handed, how he himself had gone out countless times and found nothing but a reindeer slipper floating in the ocean or a blurry glance of someone that  _might_  be his brother. He remembered all the days in the last nine years he'd gone to his brother's room with the hope that maybe,  _just maybe_ , Arthur had snuck back in or had never even left and it was all just their imaginations. But all he'd find was a cold, empty room and he'd wish once again that that one Christmas night had gone differently so he'd never have to know what it was like to miss his brother.

In two strides, Steve had Arthur in his arms, his grip tight and desperate as if the younger might just be a trick of his mind and could disappear any second. Arthur was startled, but quick to return the embrace, his face burrowing into Steve's chest as an affirmation they were both real and there. They stayed like that for a few minutes not even realizing tears had been running down their cheeks until they pulled away. Steve wasn't great with words of comfort or apologies, but Arthur was well aware of that and the hug and tears were proof enough of his older brother's regret.

Arthur wiped a few tears from his face and turned to Bryony with a watery smile. He knelt down to share a hug and apologize once more for leaving her and Grand-Santa in Cuba. They eventually settled onto the couch in the office and from there Arthur shared the gist of what had happened that night so long ago and how he traveled the world for a couple years. He talked about his wife - how they'd met and traveled together, only settling when their first born was on his way - and his two children that inherited the overwhelming love for Christmas that's ingrained in the Claus family. Steve and Bryony didn't talk too much about the North Pole (what happened there was pretty depressing compared to Arthur's stories) but they did talk about all the improvements they'd made to ensure no child was ever forgotten at Christmas again.

The hours passed and the trio soon noticed the sky lightening up outside. A joyous "Merry Christmas, Molly!" rang out from the living room followed by laughter and two tiny sets of feet thundering up the stairs to wake the last sleeper in the house. Arthur smiled, his face glowing just the way Steve remembered it doing every Christmas, and he got up to meet his family. He was halfway to the door when he realized he'd nearly forgotten about his surprise guests in the excitement of Christmas morning. Turning to face them, Arthur invited the two to join him and his family.

They both hesitated, the practiced fear of being discovered and the prospect of intruding on Arthur's family keeping them rooted to their seats.

"I'd love for you to meet them." He paused and averted his eyes, debating with himself for a moment, then looking back at them with a glint of determination in his eyes. "And I'd like for them to meet you...all of you." Steve knew the implications of that and he wanted to jump on the opportunity to get his brother home especially if it meant being that much closer to keeping him there. And yet, the man before him wasn't the same as the one he used to know. Time and experience had given Arthur an edge that was just barely noticeable in the way he stood just a bit straighter and the way he didn't ramble and defend his statement the second it left his mouth. This Arthur couldn't be dragged back home and told to stay there. This Arthur knew better than to blindly listen to his family.

"This was a surprise to all of us," Steve paused and sent a glare to Bryony who slapped on an innocent face, "or at least  _most_  of us. If you're not ready to see everyone else I… I understand and won't force you to come home." After a moment, he added, "but I would like to meet your family, if that's all right." He had a small smile on his face that Arthur mirrored as he nodded and gestured for them to follow him. From the other side of the door they heard two young voices chanting "dad, dad, dad" as they descended the stairs with the same enthusiasm they'd ascended with.

Arthur didn't get a chance to even approach the door when it slammed open and two children barreled into him, almost taking him to the floor in their effort to grab him. He laughed as he hoisted the youngest, a 3 year old girl with honey locks, onto his hip and let the other, the boy that had camped out on the couch and held a startling resemblance to his father, drag him out by his free hand. He slowed just long enough to give a reassuring grin to Steve and Bryony to get them to follow him out.

The two did at a distance, staying back as Arthur got pulled into the living room and the faces of the children lit up when they darted to the tree to inspect the presents, gasping excitedly to one another about what might be in each box. Moments later a woman came down the stairs, pausing a moment to smile at the scene of her family around the tree. Arthur perked up when he saw her and dashed right over to sweep her into a hug and quick kiss, wishing her a happy Christmas as he did so.

Steve watched their exchange with a knot twisting his insides. He'd missed so much in Arthur's life just because he made a fuss over delivering a present and now here his brother was with his own family that clearly appreciated his presence far more than his family in the North Pole ever had.

But he had a second chance, now. This time he would be there for his brother, be an active part of his life and his family, maybe even get Arthur to come home if only to visit every so often. Yes, Steve was going to make things right starting now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops! Hadn't realized I never got around to updating this story on this site. Here's one possible "what happens next" chapter. I have two solid ones written up so I'll post the other ending soon (like for real, I have it written and won't make you wait months for it).
> 
> Maybe this will kick me into that "Christmas in July" feel and I'll write out more of my ideas for this AU. Until then, check out my Coco fics! I'm slightly obsessed with that fandom right now and have actually been writing for it more frequently.
> 
> Stay tuned for another chapter soon. Love you all, don't forget to comment and kudo!
> 
> ~Mandolindoodler

**Author's Note:**

> I'm surprised no one has really done a fic like this yet where Arthur leaves part way through the movie. Maybe this will inspire you guys! I don't own Arthur Christmas.


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